#UnitedNYCHalf Recovery Week

I knew this was going to be a light week even without recovery from the half. We have our Global Summit/Annual Meeting and there’s just a lot going on. While I do chase steps in general, as Judy and I discussed on her post, I’ve learned through this injury cycle to take some true rest days. While I got in good steps doing errands and commuting, I had three days this workweek without meeting my step goal. Very unusual for me.

not running related, but I almost never wear dresses and really love this one

Physical Therapy:

PT exercises for a healthy achilles

After winding down to one visit per week, I officially graduated PT after about six weeks. Beyond fixing the current Achilles issues, I learned a lot about dem bones or to be more precise, dem tendons, ligaments and muscles. I also finished with a much better understanding of what to do at the gym vs. mindless stretching and rolling which I think will help me build a stronger base. Maybe one day I’ll actually do the free trainer session that comes with my gym membership. Maybe.

I look forward to maintaining that routine as I hopefully stay healthy through spring in the head up to the next training cycle. There’s also a lot I can do in the course of normal day to day activity such as the arch lifts.

PT for a healthy achilles

With my PT’s permission I’m sharing the ones he has me doing. This does not include some of the gym specific ones like the heel raises on a leg press or Stork, which I detailed below

Half Recovery:

I actually felt really good after the Half and probably could have run Tuesday if the schedule stars aligned. I can’t believe how long it took me to realize that PT really was strength training in disguise. That was definitely a part of my three minute time improvement as the course was way hillier than Fort Lauderdale.

While I don’t have anything double digits on the calendar until summer, look forward to working on my long runs.

aggressive non-matching is especially prevalent on a cross training day. In that new Shamrock tee

Monday: PT graduation. After a nice, long calf and hip/TFL/glute massage, he just asked me what I wanted to do and there were two exercises I wanted him to show me again. No, neither of those were Dead Bug. I will finish PT without being an insect. Hip Hike, and The Stork (albeit with a ball). Graduation gift is a tee-shirt so I guess PT has become a literal example of been there, done that, got the tee shirt.

aforementioned tee shirt

Tuesday: off. Was at the office until nearly 8PM.

oh what a beautiful morning!

Wednesday: our Annual Meeting whose program runs until 6 with a reception to follow. Knowing I wouldn’t get to the gym after, I used the first day of having the PT window free for a sunrise run. Chilly, but absolutely gorgeous. Legs felt good and I was so happy to have the run in since I didn’t leave the reception until almost eight and I was on sore feet. I love how I feel after a morning run. Also, this was the last good weather so glad I got to play outside.

Thursday: closing reception for the global summit. Awesome venue in Lucky Strike but it’s out near the Intrepid & the Hudson River, which at least meant steps walking from the subway in an icy rain. I didn’t bowl or play pool, but it was a great way to unwind. We’re not going to talk about the food choices. Tracked and moved on.

Spri Xerdisc for President!

Friday: an evening that was my own. I wanted to run outside and it had finally stopped raining, but wasn’t sure that was going to hold, so I went to the gym. Two miles on the treadmill as follows: 5.5 for .25, 5.6 for .5, 6.0 for .5, 5.6 for .5 and 5.5 for .25. I didn’t really have a plan, but didn’t want to do too much too quickly even though I’m feeling good. Followed the run with a good roll and some PT exercises as I try to work though how to best combine the two on a non cross train day. I really, really love the Xerdiscs for balance work, much easier than Bosu. I really need to remember to pack my resistance bands in my gym bag though.

Saturday: was supposed to be a long run, but turned into mental & physical day off which was sorely needed. I put on my run clothes and ran to get dinner. Don’t regret a single non step.

Hi friend! Are you a red-tailed hawk?

Sunday: long run short shakeout and hopefully a sorely needed haircut.

Plan for the Week:

Monday: cross train. Conscious choice not to use my PT time for a run as I don’t want to run three of four days. May walk to work

22 comments to this article

I think it’s great that you took days off after the half. Most of us, me included, don’t seem to take the recovery aspect seriously enough. You also do a great job at keeping up with your physical therapy exercise. Thanks for linking up!

cari

I’m trying to listen more to my body. I’m actually debating taking two days off after this three day run. One was completely, today will either be cross training or running depending on how the legs feel. I’m determined to maintain the PT gains

cari

The Prom. I know nothing about it, but it’s supposed to be fun
Thanks, TJ Maxx. I really wanted to wear the dress I wore for mom’s wedding, but realized too late it was at her place and not my apartment.
I bailed on the long run — legs hadn’t fully rebounded and haven’t quite worked out timing for allergy meds before a run. Hope your quads OK tomorrow

cari

I normally can’t wear one for this event as I’m on radio working it, but my assignment this year wasn’t a radio one so yay, excuse to wear a dress. I just don’t normally have the occasion to wear one. NP, yours was very timely.
I’ll try again next week on double digit or at least 15K. We’ll see

cari

Gosh, my PT only gives out water bottles for “graduation” – that’s a fun shirt. I find it interesting that I had many of the same exercises for completely different issues, which probably just proves the point that everything is connected!

cari

Someone else just said that too – I think we get water bottles early if we need, but my workouts were never that strenuous that I needed more than a swig at their fountain, which I usually passed putting away items anyway
Yep, it’s that old, leg bone connected to the foot bone song come to life!

cari

Thanks! TJ Maxx for the win. It’s an Annalee & Hope and they come in some nice colors. I have one in solid that, if I’d known my stockings were going to up and run away, I’d have worn so I could buy fun tights.
If I recall right, you had some calf tightness in the fall? Some of these are helpful for that as well as PT said that was underlying on the Achilles issue.

Well done on your PT and yes to the strength training aspect. My glutes are finally firing a bit and I’m finding good form and power is a little easier than it was. I graduate on Thursday, mainly because my physio is closing his office at the local council-run gym and I can’t get to his other one easily, but I do feel equipped to deal with the ham if it hits again.

cari

Some of my Strava routes have ridiculous names. a personal favorite may be “the very long way to CVS” which covered ~6M to get to a store across the street. Literal running errands is the best way to multitask

Love your dress! It looks like something I would wear. That’s cool you got a nice t shirt from PT. I try to remember that PT is strength work, but I still get so bored doing it! You are making great advances, keep it up!